poetry The Winner and Still Champion

Poet/photographer Jeannette Ferrary finds no small irony in the fact that Mattel has turned its products into a movie and the movie into more products, another merchandise opportunity.

Jeannette Ferrary
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The Winner and Still Champion

By Jeannette Ferrary

 

Women can be lawyers.

How do we know? Mattel tells us so.

Tangible proof is in stores and on-line,

website wonderlands of cooptation.

Click “Career Dolls” for

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Barbie Marine biologist, Hockey Player Barbie,

Soccer Doll, Blonde, with Cleats and Socks.

The Barbie Scientist doll,

her hair blue just like real scientist dolls,

goes nowhere without her microscope.

Or click Barbie-the-Movie-Merch,

product lines of liberation with

feminism galore at a range of prices

any girl or boy can afford

no matter how audibly their mothers

may be gnashing their teeth.

Real women can be Barbies too.

They thrive in the “Inspiring Women (Trademark) Series”

Women with real lives and accomplishments,

heroines even, brought to you by Mattel

fully clothed, with accessories and a

Certificate of Authenticity right in the box.

As one woman gets sole directing credit for

the billion-dollar movie,

somewhere in Malaysia

another woman is raking in two dollars an hour

churning out President Barbies by the dozen.

You’ll have to wait for yours, however.

The President (she’s African-American by the way)

Is SOLD OUT.  

Writer/photographer Jeannette Ferrary’s most recent book is The Future is Leaving: Photographs from Once-Upon-a-Time. http://www.jeannetteferrary.photoshelter.com